Banana Bread

I recieved an email the other day for a recipe exchange. I thought it sounded fun, so I tried it. I have been receiving some really yummy sounding recipes, but the only one I've made so far is this one. It's a very moist banana bread recipe, and I've included the adjustments I made since I use my Demarle trays to bake with.

Moist Banana Bread (Doris Butler)

1-1/4 cup wheat pastry flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1/2 cup Smart Balance Butter
3 small ripe bananas
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. Penzeys Cake Spice
1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.

Add shortening and use pastry blender to cut into flour mixture.

Mash bananas (or puree) and add to flour, along with well-beaten eggs and vanilla.

When combining the liquid and dry ingredients do not over mix.

Spoon into 9 x 5" pan (it will be lumpy).

Bake in 350 deg. oven about 50-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

**I used my Bouquet Tray, my Mini Charlotte Tray and my Daisy Mold (for my leftovers).

The Bouquet Tray baked for 23 minutes, at 2/3 full.

The Mini Charlotte Tray baked for 10 minutes, and used 1/2 teaspoon batter per cup.

The Daisy Mold baked for 19 minutes. **

Rice Filled Quesadillas with Salsa

This is a very healthy recipe and yet it still tastes delicious.

Rachel’s Rice- Filled Quesadillas with Salsa3/4 cups Lundberg Wild Blend Brown Rice cooked
1 can Black Beans (15 ounces) undrained
1 tsp Olive Oil
½ medium onion, diced
1 Tbl Penzy’s Taco Seasoning
¾ cups Salsa

Cook the rice.
Drain the beans, reserving ½ the liquid.
In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat.
Add onion and cook until tender.
Add the beans, reserved liquid, taco seasoning.
Cook, stirring for 7 to 8 minutes.
Warm whole wheat flour tortillas in skillet and place on serving place.
Spoon the rice over ½ of each tortilla.
Top with the beans and salsa mixture.
Fold the remaining half of the tortillas over each filing
And press down slightly.
Serve immediately.

Summer Reading

Five years ago I stopped defining who I was by the things I thought or did and I began defining myself in relation to my child. I don't necessarily think this is a bad thing. I think it is an important concept to realize that when you choose to bring a child into this world, you then stop being just another person and become someone's parent.
As my daughter has gotten older, I also realize that there are times when I like to define myself outside of just motherhood. I enjoy reading. I enjoy running. I enjoy cooking. I enjoy being outside. I enjoy working. I enjoy being a friend. I doubt that I have ever lost myself in motherhood...I'm just not that great of a mother. But I do get carried away with being a mother and I need to remember me sometimes.
I read a few novels this summer and I was very impressed with a couple of them. I don't belong to a book club, so I will just talk about the books I read and why I liked them.
One of the last ones I read, Me & Emma, was amazing. I was so impressed with the book that once I was finished, I actually had to go back through and started reading it again. I adore a book that can make me want to go back for more. As are many novels, it was not a happy, light story, but it was definitely worth reading. I felt like I wanted to just take the girls and wrap them up. I just felt such a need to help them. I should probably write more about it, but if you haven't read it, I don't want to ruin any of it.
Water for Elephants was a wonderful story. I definitely don't ever want to run away to the circus, and even after reading it, I'm not so sure about attending...but the story was captivating and I really wanted him to save everyone.
I also read The Memory Keeper's Daughter, and was impressed with the story. I think what I took from this novel was more about how decisions we make in life, sometimes can change us forever. Imagine being in a situation where you want to do the right thing, but because of the choice you made, your family can never be who they really should be. How horrible to try to protect your family, only to hurt them.